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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, October 16, 1968
Folklore collection
KU prof studies American traditions
By SUSAN BRIMACOMBE
Kansan Staff Writer
Legends, ballads, traditional festivals and customs are being traced to their origins and compiled in a reference collection by Robert J. Smith, assistant professor of anthropology.
Smith, who statted teaching folklore courses last year, has spent several years delving into American traditions. However, this year he decided to start a
collection, and with the help of his Introduction to Folklore class, he is well on his was.
"The study of folklores is the study of the traditional lives of people. All studies in school are directed at scholarship, but we neglect looking at ourselves and trying to discover our own way of life," Smith said.
Smith's interest in folklore has grown in the last two years with visits to Peru and Spain, where
he concentrated on the study of festivals.
"I am mainly interested in Latin American folklore. However, my interest is now turning to American folklore," he said.
In his travels, Smith noticed that folklorists all over the world are compiling material. He said by corresponding with foreigners, tradition origins may be compared and their changes observed.
ROBERT J. SMITH
Professor Smith demonstrates the method used for playing a Peruvian flute made from pieces of bamboo. The flute is part of his folklore collection.
Most folklore is transmitted orally and follows a progressive pattern of growth, Smith said. Legends usually develop into songs which lead to books and today, motion pictures may be the terminating point of an age-old tale, he said.
Smith said although Americans think of themselves as changing, they are in reality, bound by tradition—our clothes, songs, behavior and beliefs. He said he has found tradition has become unconscious and our mannerisms accepted as natural.
in directing folklore study in the classroom, Smith asks his students to first take a look at themselves to discover their own customs. Students are requested to write down ways in which they celebrate different holidays or festivals. These are compared and studied and later filed for reference.
Classroom work consists of lectures and a general study of folklore. However, each student is required to write a term paper involving extensive field work Smith said.
After instruction on fact-finding, students are given the choice of selecting one specific gendre to research or studying a larger group. Smith also emphasized
the importance of talking to people to gain information.
"You can't go to books because folklore he ne was never written down. You must get it from talking to people," he said.
Topics for study by the class range from a Mennonite community to charms used by football players.
Smith feels folklore study is vital in learning traditions and said his collection will remain here as a basic reference.
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